Now You Know! Santa's a Ham!

For 37 years, Mickey Hicks, WO6T, played Santa Claus to hundreds of
children. These children never sat on Santa's lap to tell him that they
had been good boys and girls and what they wanted for Christmas. They
did it in a much more simple way -- they picked up a microphone and
told Santa on the air. Each year, Hicks, a ham for almost 50 years and
a long-time Amateur Radio instructor, would get on the air for 10 days
each December as W6S (Whiskers-6-Santa). Unfortunately, Hicks became a
Silent Key earlier this year.

Hicks said that the first year he operated as W6S was a hit with the
operators -- and their children. Most children, he noted, are a bit
apprehensive of talking over the radio, let alone to Santa. One of the
most challenging parts of operating was when he heard a parent say
"This one is shy and won't talk." That was never a problem for Hicks --
after a few warm-up questions, such as "Can you say hello to Rudolph?"
-- he said he could strike up a conversation that lasted a few minutes.
He had even heard back from parents that they weren't able to get the
microphone away from the kids afterward!

Back in 2001, Hicks told the ARRL
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2001/12/21/3/?nc=1 that his Santa's
Workshop was a great ham radio recruiting tool. One of his most
memorable experiences was when a young girl he'd once spoken with on
the air as Santa came by with her ham ticket in hand to thank him in
person for getting her interested in Amateur Radio. "I had tears in my
eyes, of course," he said. One of the most enjoyable moments of Hicks'
Santa career occurred when he was speaking with a young child and
realized he had spoken with their parents and grandparents when they
were youngsters!

Mark Slater, WI6J, was Hicks' QSL manager. With the blessing of Hicks'
wife, son and daughter-in-law, Slater will carry on the W6S tradition
for 2010 and beyond. "Mickey's shoes are so much bigger than I could
ever hope to fill," he told the ARRL, "but I know Mickey would have
wanted Santa to keep getting on the air and speaking with the
children." Slater said you can find him most evenings, as well as the
weekend of December 19-20, on 14.270 MHz, Santa's favorite frequency.
Santa is a ham -- now you know!

A sad time. I remember working Mickey on 17 meters on 18.135 MHz May 22, 2009. Quite a good person and he had pointed me to the Santa website he had setup. I was looking forward to speaking with him and letting both daughters talk to Santa as well this year. I must say it's sad news to see that he's passed on.

Many years back I heard Mickey on the air being Santa. When my son was old enough we tried to work him, I think we got him one year but not the next, propagation.

My son was elated just hearing him on the radio, good times.. I was sorry to hear that Mickey passed. He certainly had me believing again.

My son is now 15, when we had to tell him a few years back what was what, I told him that St. Nick will always be Santa through the people that carry on his tradition. Mickey was Santa, to many girls and boys and even me. As long as there are Santa's, there will be believers and the magic will live on. God Bless you Mickey..!

Maybe I was not as clear as I could have been when I wrote this article. Mark said he would be on this year (2009). He said he would be on in the evenings after he got home from work. Please try calling "CQ Santa" on 14.270 - if he hears you, he will definitely answer. -- de K1SFA

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